From Then For Now
by SailorofTears
Summary: TalaMariahRei: What happens when you place a beautiful girl in between two enemies during highschool? Is there going to be love or despair? And what if this girl had a special power no one knew about except for a person who has the special gift too?
1. Tala Valkov

Title: From Then For Now Rating:PG-13 Summary: Tala/Mariah/Rei: What happens when you place a beautiful girl in between two enemies during highschool? Is there going to be love or despair? Read and you'll find out. RR! No yaoi! And what if this girl had a special power no one knew about except for one person that has the same gift. Pairings: You'll see...but, as I said NO yaoi. 

Disclaimer: I don't own Beyblade.

Hello! I'm redoing the old story for some reasons. I just didn't feel inspired for the last story as I did for Scarlet Promise. And for the people who reviwed it; I thank you very much! Gives everyone a white rose. And a Mariah plushie doll. If you don't like this pairing or whatever don't tell me just don't read the fic.

Chapter One:-

**Brinnnng Brinnnng**

The annoying digital alarm clock sounded off warning the sleeping person in bed to wake up for school.

**Brinnnng Brinnzzzzzzzzzzzzz**

A hand slapped the alarm clock, so that it wouldn't make any more noise for a while.

"MARIAH! WAKE UP!" A huge, deep voice sounded from downstairs the house.

"I'm up, Lee!" Mariah yelled back down as she covered her face with her pillow and fell back down on her pink bed. Matter of fact everything in her room was pink, almost. The curtains, the bed spreads, the dressers, her computer, her TV, and her most attractive feature, her hair, were all pink. Everything else was a normal white.

Mariah slowly lifted her feet off of her bed and walked over to her bathroom, she did most of her morning activities. When she was done with her morning duties she could hear her family trying to get her on to school because her brother had already left her. He always wanted to get to school 40 minutes before the bell was desiginated to ring. And by time she got there Lee, would probably be off somewhere with his group of friends. The hot, cool, popular, and most attractive guys in their school.

Mariah liked Lee as a bigger brother and he gave her some place in the popular group. But, she decided not to be a part of Lee and them, she had her own group of friends.

She walked down her white-pearly carpeted stairs and into the kitchen, where her mother was busily rushing about. Her mother caught sight of her daughter and grabbed her arm and led her to their front door that passed the sparcely decorated living room.

"Honey, you're going to be late! Go ahead, I'm sure Rei is waiting for you!" Mariah's mom scolded her as she pushed the petite girl out of the house door.

"Mooom-Oh! Hi, Rei." Mariah casually said as she walked, more like fellinto step with her best friend. "What's up?"

"Nothing much, Mari. How about you?" Rei asked as he looked over to her. Glancing her up and down, she wore an everday white tank top, light-blue jean capris, and white sneakers. The two school books she carried in her hand indicated that she was going to school.

"Being bullied by my mom, again. Did you hear about the new boy from Russia, Rei?" Mariah asked as her eyes brightened up and she started daydreaming of how he would look like and how he would act like, she heard he was in two of her four classes. She was so into her distant illusions she hadn't noticed that she was walking into the school-way crossing.

The light was red for students...

"Nah, Mari. Mari! MARI! WATCH OUT!" Rei yelled as he noticed his best friend walk into an intersection of speeding traffic.

'She is dead for sure.' Rei thought. He tried to run after her, but the cars crossing in front of him stopped his pursuit.

Mariah turned around to her friends' frantic yells only to be facing a speeding red mustang and other various cars. All of her thoughts and daydreams came to a halt as she noticed her predicament. She was so preoccupied into the Russian boy that she hadn't even noticed that she had walked into a deadly destination. And so she did what any other teenager or child would have done if they were in danger. She let out a peircing scream. But, as she turned back around she heard the horn of a big 16-wheeler truck.

'I am dead for sure.' Mariah thought as she screamed yet again hoping an angel would pick her up. But, her angel, that usually appear in dreams never came, although a red-haired angel came flashing by like a speeding bullet.

Mariah was picked up by her waist and was raced out of dangers way. Such human speeds weren't possible. She almost thought she was flying, but she didn't care. Just as long as she got away from that street. A few quick seconds later she was placed securely on her feet, again.

"Th...Thank...Thank-you." Mariah barely stuttered out, her eyes glued to the boy in front of her.

"It's not your time, yet." The red-headed boy with two spikes sticking out of his head and two falling bangs replied and started to walk off. His retreating back stay glued to Mariah's eyes until she noticed he turned into her schoolyard.

"Mariah, ya okay?" Rei asked.

"Just...Just dandy, minus my near-death experience." Mariah said as she recovered from her shock. She trembled a bit as she crossed the walk-way again. Unsure of what else to do, she grabbed for the nearest object to hold onto securly. Rei's hand.

Rei fidgeted a bit, surprised by her abrupt action, but returned a squeeze of reassurance from his hand and walked her into the school yard to meet up with their friends.

"Being best-friends you two sure do give out the wrong impression." A boy with a red-cap and yellow shirt said as he walked up to the pair. This was the same greeting he gave them for 3 years since they started in highschool together. All of the Bladebreakers were there and then some. Their group consisted of a few people, they were all close like a link cable, but they weren't always together.

There was the red-cap wearing, arrogant, and fast-food eating Tyson. His girlfriend Hilary, who scolded him every second of his life because he always seemed to screw something up. She had bushy brown hair, bright brown eyes and and always wore a pink skirt. Beside her stood two baby-blonde haired and blue eyed teens. They may have had the same looks, but they were in no relations and complete opposites. Max always wore orange overalls and had a perky attitude making him seem like he was always on a sugar-high. The other blonde, Enrique, was Italian, and the biggest flirt in all of BBA High. Then, their was Kenny, the smartest boy with the highest GPA in school, he wore nerdy glasses every day, but he is now considering contacts. His laptop that he carried everywhere with him had a bitbeast trapped inside named Dizzi. Then, there was Emily, the second smartest girl in the school, girlfriend of the baby-blonde haired boy Max. She hadorange-hair, and worepurple glasses.She is friends with Mariah, but they usually get into fights or try to out-beat each other in a sport. Oops, and did I almost forget Rei Kon?..The second sought-after boy in BBA High, andas the hottest guy he would be in Lee's group, but he turned them down to stay with the friends he knew better. He had extremely long, jet black hair in a low ponytail and always wore a martial arts outfit.

"Mariah, walked to school, again?" A boy a head taller than Mariah waved out to her and the group.

"Yea! No thanks to you." Mariah told him. She decided not to discuss the incident that happened earlier for their was no reason too.

"Riah! You're so slow in the morning though. But, please... Can you ever forgive me?..." Lee begged playfully earning a short giggle from the girls in the group.

"All girls are slow, Lee. I don't see why, though. They don't better their apperance." Johnny spoke out stepping up beside Lee. He eyed Mariah, but she didn't mind, he always eyeballed her.

This was the gang which consisted the more popular boys in school. Lee, Mariah's bigger brother, who had dark brown hair and long sideburns. He was the most overprotective, toughest,and maybe nicest boy in their group after Robert Jurgen. The European sensation, he has purple hair, and he has been placed in more magazines than any other blader. Then, it was the loud mouth Johnny, everything that comes out of his mouth is either vulgar language or an insult. The only girl he doesn't directly mean what he says is Mariah, since they dated when they were in the 9th grade. He still has a soft spot for her. Johnny's bestfriend is Brian, an exchange student from Russia he joined the school last year and became #1 Quarterback of the highschool football team. Brian seems to keep to himself sometimes. He'll only speak when spoken to or if there is something he wants to talk about. Then, that brings us to our last member of the little boy group, Kai Hiwatari. The dark blue and silver haired boy with auburn eyes. He was very attractive like most of the other boys, but girls seemed to kill each other over him. He doesn't speak that much but is very intimadating most of the time.

"So, guys are we going to have our get together tonight or what?" Hilary asked as she stepped up beside Mariah and looked at Lee.

"Sure, what time and where at, Hilary?" Robert asked.

She turned her attention from Lee to Robert and whispered to Mariah who whispered back.

"How about the Midnight Matinee tonight. Your treats." Hilary said.

"Ummm...ok? How about it guys?" Robert asked.

"I'm cool with it. But, now I have to go to my locker before-" Lee started, but was interrupted by the alarm to begin first period. "Damn..See ya guys."

"Gots to go too." Max announced as he skipped off with Tyson, Emily, Rei, Hilary, and Enrique. They all had the same first period which was PE/Health class which made Mariah really mad. She had first period with just Kai and Johnny the two most arrogant males in school AND it was boring English/Drama with a bitch of a teacher.

"Hey LEE! WAIT UP!" Robert yelled as he and Brian ran to catch up with Lee.

"So, it's only us two again." Johnny said.

"Three. Again." Kai corrected him.

"Hey guys, ready for English?" Mariah asked.

"Sure. Whatever. I don't see the basics in it, we're never going to become famous actors or authors of books. Do you want to skip?" Johnny asked the pair beside him. They both raised an eyebrow and looked at each other their reply's were a sudden "No.".

"Fine. Whatever. I'll ask again tommorow." Johnny said as he walked down the crowded hallway with papers, books, and students hurrying by to get to their classes.

"I'm gonna go to my locker. I'll see ya in class. And please don't forget to save my seat this time. Sitting on the window sill isn't very pleasant for my ass, Johnny McGregor!" Mariah exclaimed as she sped off to get to her locker before the tardy bell rang.

"You better hurry!" Johnny yelled out as he watched her run off and disappear into the thinning crowd.

"I'll save her seat this time since you have some short-term memory. I don't want to sit beside a girl who stares and drools atme all period. Pinky is alot better than most of the-" Kai thought for a minute. "No, she is better than all of the girls in our class"es"."

"Thanks friend. Because I wasn't going to save it."

"Thought so." Kai said as he entered the medium-sized classroom. There were people sitting on desks chit-chatting with their friends in little groups before the bell rang. The dark, red room reminded everyone of a theater. Especially since the structure was a theater. And there was a stage in front. The teacher, Mrs.Witherspoon, never allowed any student on stage unless they had a part in the yearly play "William Shakespere's: Romeo and Juliet".

Johnny led Kai to the back of the room they both could feel eyes from the girls following their every step and when they sat down everyones eyes and heads turned to talk again of their nothing conversations. Kai placed his books in a seat beside him to indicate that he was saving it for someone. Moans and groans could be heard from the girls in class.

"They're dissapointed Kai." Johnny said disapprovingly of saving the seat.

"And?"

"Let one of them sit there for today?" Johnny begged.

"No."

"Please?" Johnny begged adding puppy dog eyes.

"Stop begging, dog. And obey your master and shut up."

"Fine." Johnny said folding his arms and giving up. He really did know that Kai liked no other girls in the entire school except for three to four, tops. And the only girl he ever trusted was Mariah since they knew each other since birth and he is Lee's bestfriend. So the quality of acting and protecting Mariah like a bigger brother rubbed off on him.

Johnny liked Mariah as a friend still, but makes it his goal job to make her life suck. Which already does sort of for her anyways. Two or three girls in this school makes Mariah's life a living hell just because she is beautiful, has many boys as friends, and can be called the most popular girl in school. But, they think she doesn't deserve as much credit as everyone gives her, so they torment her on a daily basis. Telling lies, starting rumors, and hiding things in her locker. Kai and Rei are the only two who know about the harassment she recieves, she couldn't tell anyone else.

**Briiiiiiiiiiing**

"Ok class, to start off we are going to talk about William Shakespere. Our annual-" Mrs. Witherspoon began but, was quickly cut off by a banging noise on her door.

**Knock Knock**

"Stay seated and quiet." Mrs.Witherspoon instructed and everyone did just that since they knew the new student from Russia was coming today. They were eager to see him since they heard the announcement Friday.

"I heard he had bloody red hair."

"Nah uh, I heard he has bloody red eyes."

"Whatever, I heard he was the Captain of his football team in Russia."

"Sure, what I heard is that he's HOT!"

"Hotter than Kai Hiwatari?"

"They're the same in comparison."

"AHHHHHHH!" Squealed all the girls in the class as they sat in anticipation.

Then, Mrs.Witherspoon walked in, closely behind was a student with flaming red hair that sat up on two sides of his head and two bangs falling down across his face. Ice blue, cold eyes stared at the class in front of him. All the chairs were empty except for one, which had books stacked on it. And the class had a dark-red accent to it with a stage in the front which creeped him out a bit. Never had a class with a stagein it. Most of the class were girls except for two students, three now, if he included himself.

"Students, please welcome our newarrival, Tala Valkov. He is from Russia and was just transferred here today. Please welcome him with open arms. Do you want to give us a description of yourself?" Mrs. Witherspoon asked politely.

"Seems like you did that for me." Tala said flatly. That remark earned him a few snickers and giggles from the girls.

"Ok. Well, my name is Mrs.Witherspoon, I teach English/Drama."

"Explains the stage." Tala said as he made his way to the empty chair. He could feel eyes following him as he walked and it annoyed him more and more.

"Turn around, all of you, I dont want eyes looking at me wherever I go! That would be so fucking freaky!" Tala yelled as he turned aroundin rage at the teenage girls who now were sending him death glares.

"I think I'm gonna like this guy." Johnny whispered to Kai. All Kai did was nod.

"Do you get this everyday?" Tala asked the two guys in front of him.

"Hell yea. And it's annoying. We thank you." Johnny said as he bowed to Tala. Tala chuckled along with Kai.

"Well, Mr.Volkov, we do not express that type of language in this class, unless your reading a line from a play." Mrs.Witherspoon explained.

"Whatever." Tala said as he studied the two beside him. The one closest to him and right beside him had two-toned blue hair and auburn colored eyes. Tala could sense a strange aura from this boy, it was like as if, he knew. He wore baggy black pants and an almost skin-tight red muscle shirt.

"As I was saying before the interruption. Our annual play is in 3 months and I think we should start preparing for it now. So, open-"

"MRS.WITHERSPOON I AM SO SORRY!" Mariah yelled as she rushed in the classroom. Herteacher seemed pissed since her right eye was twitching.

"It's her." Tala said softly as he gazed at Mariah.

"No time to explain today, Mariah. You have detention afterschool for ten minutes." Mrs.Witherspoon explained.

"But, I didn't miss ten minutes of class!" Mariah replied.

"Fifteen!"

Mariah huffed and looked in the back of the room to the chair next to Kai and was filled by a boy with red hair. He seemed familiar, but she couldn't place him now, she needed to find a seat. She took a seat on the windowsill.

"Open auditions are tomorrow afternoon for the part of Mercutio and the Nurse. Next week will be Romeo and Juliet, if you want a part please take a script before you leave class today." Mrs.Witherspoon explained before she went into the lesson.

**--After First Period Bell--**

The whole class stood as the ending of the first period bell rung. Mariah packed her things to walk over to Kai and Johnny.

"Thanks for nothing." Mariah said a little hurt as she rubbed her sore bottom.

"Welcome." Johnny said happily. As he grabbed his things and ran to catch up with the red-spiked new student before he left the class. Kai was right behind after he gave a quick wave to Mariah.

Kai looked both ways and found the two beside an 11th grade locker. They were talking about something or someone.

"So, what makes the pink girl different from the rest of the girls here." Tala asked Kai.

"As much as I hate to admit it, there is a huge difference between her and that-" Johnny pointed to a group of blonde-haired freshmen girls that had too much make-up on, that always stalked him.

"Oh?" Tala asked to make him elaborate.

"Yea. By the way, my name is Johnny." Johnny introduced himself.

"Kai." Kai said flatly to the new comer.

"Hey, we have PE next period." Johnny explained as he pointed to himself and Kai. "But, after PE wecanhave lunch together. How about you meet the rest of the guys? I'm sure you'll fit right in, right Kai?" Johnny asked.

"Yea. What do you have now?" Kai asked Tala.

**--Mariah's Locker--**

"Ready for Chem, Hilary?" Mariah asked as she stacked her books in her light blue locker.

"Yea. But, we really should get along before we're late again, you don't want to add more time on your detention, do you?" Hilary asked Mariah. Mariah stuck her tongue out and slammed her locker shut and walked with Hilary to their next class together.

Just as Hilary stepped in the class, the bell had rung again to start the next period.

Mariah was just a few steps from the class. She was having no luck today.

"Damn.." Mariah whispered under her breath.

"Ms.Wong, 5 minute detention afterschool! Now take your seat beside Mr.Valkov." The raven-haired chemistry teacher instructed. She had wrinkles and wore glasses that drooped down her nose.

"Who?" Mariah asked scanning the room then found the only seat beside a red-haired boy. "Nevermind." She spotted Hilary on the other side of him just sitting down. Her eyes looked sympathetic to her friends punishment for being late.

"Riah, wanna eat lunch at the picnic tables?" Hilary whispered across to Mariah that was just sitting down at her desk.

"Sure. How was PE, Hil?"

"It was like usual. Rei and the guys beat the girls again. What about you?" Hilary asked back to Mariah.

"Nothing much. Except, I want to play in Mrs.Witherspoon's play." Mariah said excitedly as she rummaged through her bookbag and pulled out a playbook for 'The Nurse'.

"Romeo and Juilet?" A new male voice butted into their conversation. Both girls looked at the boy in the middle of them, it was the same red-haired boy Mariah had sworn she seen before, but she didn't want to bring it up.

"Yea? Your in my class, right?" Mariah asked and the boy nodded his head for a reply of yes.

"You sat beside, Kai?" Mariah asked another question. But, this question made him raise an eyebrow.

'Kai and Johnny both spoke good of Pinky over here. Kai and her must be an item...?'

"Do you go out with Kai?" The red-haired asked. His cystal blue eyes widened when he heard both of the girls burst out in a fit of giggles, he looked dumbfounded. Thankfully, the teacher didn't hear them, they were way in the back and she was making a lecture on how to combine the right liquids and acids to create a fizz.

"No way! I haven't even introduced myself and your already making assumptions of my love life. My name is Mariah Wong. And this over here is my best friend-"

"Hilary Kayata. Nice to meet you ummm...?" Hilary spoke up.

"Tala Valkov. And I'm sorry for making assumptions, but it would seem like you two would have hooked up. All he did was speak of good things about you during class today, along with Johnny McGregor, but he didn't seem in the least interested about the conversation. You two are the only sensible girls I met at this school." Tala said to both of them as he leaned back in his chair, happy that he met the two girls he could associate with, but he still wondered if the pink-haired one had remembered him from that morning. Probably not.

'They made her forget already. Thats good, but she has no idea as to who she is truly about to become.' Tala thought.

"And Tala, so that you get no more assumptions about either of us, I am very much single and Hilary here is going out with her doofus of a boyfriend Tyson Granger." Mariah informed before she got whacked in the head with her own Script Book of 'The Nurse', thanks to Hilary's excellent skill of markmanship.

As for Tala, he was enjoying the amusing girls in front of him, but he had leaned back too far in the chair that he was in and fell on the floor, which caused the class to turn and look in their direction. Hilary quickly turned to look at Tala as if she had nothing to do with it, but poor Mariah looked guilty; to their Chem teacher.

"Ms.Wong, 10 extra minutes on detention. And Mr.Valkov as for you, 30 minute detention to teach you not to disrupt my class again!"

"Damn..." They both said in unison.

"5 extra minutes, both of you!"

SailorofTears: How is it? For a first chapter. I'm tellin you guys now even though they are in highschool some weird things are gonna happen. Remember this line.

'They made her forget already. Thats good, but she has no idea as to who she is truly about to become.' Tala thought.  
Anyways, more of Rei in the next chapter and the other characters.

Ok, Kai and Mariah known each other since birth b/c of Lee. Beyblades do not exist in this era, sorry. They don't have feelings for each other. Rei and Hilary are best friends of Mariah. Johnny used to date Mariah in the 9th grade. I'll elaborate about that in later chapters. And no I will not discontinue this story. I like it.

See ya!  
Oh yea...READ AND REVIEW


	2. A Few Scars

SailorofTears: Thank-You reviewers. And I am extremely sorry for the wait! I should be hurt very badly, but nah! I am out of school, I passed all of my classes and today was the first day out! (May 25, 2005)! Now, I have 3 months out all by myself! Again, I am sorry.

Disclaimer: I do not own Beyblade.

**-Chapter Two:-**

"Damn..." They both said in unison.

"5 extra minutes both of you!"

**-Picnic Tables during Lunch-**

The sun had came out and kids were shedding off their clothing from all around the school campus, bare arms and bare legs that were freshly tanned could be seen from the girls, but the guys could only roll their sleeves up or take a jacket off here and there.

Mariah could swear it was about 98 degrees out there. She wiped a sweat bead from her forehead and walked over to her usual picnic table where Max, Tyson, Hilary, Kenny, and Dizzi were seated around.

"Hi, guys!" Mariah exclaimed as she sat her plate of mushy and lumpy cafeteria food on the wooden bench picnic table.

"Yo. Wassup, Mariah?" Rei said as he sat down beside her on the bench with his bagged lunch from home. "How is your day so far? Heard you've been getting in some trouble." Rei smirked a little as he stole a glance at Hilary. But, this did not go unnoticed by Mariah.

Mariah glared at the loud-mouth Hilary who was now scolding Tyson for talking while his mouth was full with food. Sometimes, Mariah, could believe those two were married.

"Mariah and trouble is not unusual though, Rei." Max commented from across the wooden table added to Rei's comment.

"Well, I was just late. And she gave me a 35-minute detention afterschool. That's all." Mariah answered as she looked at the green lump of supposed-to-be-food.

"Oh...You sure that's it?" Rei asked a little skeptical of her answer.

"Yep." Mariah said sure of herself as she ate a little of the glump of green. As she ate the first bite, she ate another and did not eat anymore. She was already through with cafeteria food, and it was only the first day!

'Except for the fact I met the new Russian kid that I really think that I met before, but can't place him.' Mariah thought.

"Ok." Rei said as he opened his bag and started eating.

The whole picnic table was filled in their own conversations: Hilary with Tyson, Max and Emily, Kenny and Dizzi that may be researching something for their history project. (A/N: Dizzi is still the computer bitbeast talking person.). Mariah decided it was time for her to throw away her plate of mush and lumps, she could almost throw up if she looked at it anymore.

"I'll get it for you." Rei offered as he picked up her plate and backed up off of the picnic table, but he had bumped into an unfamiliar body and face.

"Watch where the fuck your going!" Tala eyed his victim, it was a boy no younger than himself with long, black hair and fang-like teeth. He looked similiar to his new friend Lee, and that pink-haired girl he seen earlier in class. "Cat-boy."

"Me! You should have watched where you were going!" Rei shot back to the flaming red-head. "Carrot-top."

"Tala, he did not mean it, just calm down..."Mariah tried to explain as she stood up with Hilary and Emily at her either sides glaring at the red-haired.

"He seemed so nice before, Riah." Hilary whispered to her friend as she watched the two boys continue to fuss. At this point Tyson, Enrique, and Max had all ran up behind Rei to show their support. But, the same happened for Tala; Johnny, Kai, Lee, Bryan, and Robert were all behind Tala trying to see what had happened between the two. However, Lee, Robert, and Kai stood on the side to show they were neutral in the fight, for the fact they did not know know the new boy too well.

"Pinky, you just stay out of this, it's between me and him." Tala said outloud as he kept his glare on Rei. "Besides, I'm not going to fight him. Firstly, it would be unfair for him. Secondly, we don't want him to break a nail now do we?"

"Are you trying to call me a punk?" Rei said as he stepped up to Tala.

"Your skills at stating the obvious are excellent." Tala retaliated as he stepped up to Rei, so they could just feel each others breath.

"AHHHHHH!" Rei threw a punch at the stunned Tala, which hit him directy in the cheek. The pain was just like a knife being stabbed through him. Tala knew Rei wanted a fight now. So, if he wanted a fight, then he'll give him a fight.

The outside area was now being surrounded by a bunch of highschool kids who were all interested in who was fighting. The little circle in the middle of the students was a ring for the fighting Rei and Tala. Mariah, Hilary, and Emily had all turned their heads in disgust. Fighting was never a way to solve a problem and Mariah knew Rei knew this concept, but he still threw the first punch. Well, who blames him?

'He sure did hit him pretty good,' Mariah let a very small smile form on her lips as she thought about it.

Tala dodged every attack that Rei threw at him. The kid was good at martial arts, no, he was excellent. But, he still was not as fast him. Tala dodged a high kick and bent just low enough so that he had an open spot for Rei's stomach and took the chance. Rei's eyes bugged out and a drop of blood mixed with saliva escaped his lips, shocking all the fangirls and some of Rei's friends. But, he kept up the fight, dodging and attacking everytime he would get a chance.

"Go! Break the idiots up, Johnny, Tyson!" Kai ordered from his spot beside Lee.

"But-" They both said.

"Now!" Kai said with a serious face, he watched them both walk up and take their respected partners to a spot where they could cool down.

"WHAT IS GOING ON HERE!" An old, short, bald man yelled outloud. Thus, causing most of the crowd to run away from the scene except for a select few. He did not really want to know what had happened, but just wanted the students to disperse as quickly as possible before the bell ranged for the next period.

"Nothing, Mr.Dickenson." Lee responded to the rhetorical question the principal had asked. Lee and his gang of friends left to go to their classes on one side and the other gang of kids left to go to their respected classes or lockers.

**-Middle of Hall-**

"Hey Rei, its alright." Hilary spoke up so everyone could hear her comment. "Tala was just...well, I don't know what he was doing. Probably its just his way of saying..."Hello." to another male."

"What the hell? Your sounding just as stupid as Tyson on days he doesn't have food! And here I thought you were a smartass!" Rei yelled back as he stopped in the middle of the hallway, making a few heads turn in their direction.

Mariah, Enrique, Max, and Kenny all turned just in time to see an angry Tyson blow-off in Rei's face with his arm over Hilary's shoulders who was standing up proud with her nose in the air.

"Listen BUDDY, you can talk to me anyway you want too, but don't take your anger out on Hilary just because you got your ass kicked by Tala!" Tyson yelled at one of his closest friends. Tyson had not thought of what he had said until it had left his mouth. He cursed silently inside just as the words escaped him.

"Tyson...I'm sorry guys." Rei ran off down the crowded hallway and around a corner. He could hear the muffled screams of his friends as he sprinted, but couldn't let them see the bruised and hurt look on his face. They could never and will never see Rei Kon cry.

"Guys, I'm going to go after him!" Mariah declared. As she was about to take off after him down the hall an orange-haired Emily stepped in her path. "Emily, what's up?"

"I...we...can't let you go after him, Riah. Sometimes, guys just want some time for themselves to think about their actions or to sort out their feelings. And as long as we...you've...known Rei, you should understand that he is a very deep person and thats exactly what he is doing." Emily said thoughtfully as she hugged Mariah. Mariah nodded for understandance.

Tyson removed his arm from around Hilary's neck and stepped up in front of the group to address everyone. Max, Kenny, Mariah, Hilary and Emily all turned their heads in his direction. An oncoming Oliver and Enrique looked at their friends completely lost and confused. They had been in the library during lunch and had not heard about any of the conflicts yet, but they had quickened their pace to hear the navy blue-haired boy's announcement.

"Listen up, I'm extremely sorry for what happened just now... It was all totally my fault. I think this might be a time that Rei will need us all, so lets do something special for him and ourselves next week, okay? Because, I don't know, I have a distinct feeling that this year is going to be hectic and crazy. It's alot different from last year, you guys. The other gang has changed. They are becoming more competitive and our only ties to them is Mariah's brother. And our outing with them tonight is probably going to be most memorable and our last. So, just expect it. And as for this Tala character...We'll deal with him some other time. Ha! I think the bell ranged during my speech...Umm..you all know where to meet up tonight, right? The Midnight Matinee on 4th and Misery Street.

As me being your gang leader. I think we need to give ranks again since we started this new semeseter. And also, a gang name since we never had one before." Tyson announced to the group.

He was the leader. They decided that when he first made it up a few years back in middle school, but the funny thing is that they never had a name for the gang. It was just a group of kids. It was quite ridicoulous at first, their was no iniatiation or guidelines or rules to be followed to be in the group, you just had to be yourself and everyone must like your attitude.

Tyson walked up the staircase in his class direction along with Max and Emily who were in his U.S. History class along with him. Next was Oliver and Kenny who trodded off to their PE class, which they would probably not participate in with all their abilities, because they were not athletic people.

"So, Hil, what is your third period class?" Enrique asked as he folded his arms and walked in the middle of the last two girls, Hilary and Mariah. Hilary had a confident face as Mariah looked out in space. Enrique knew she was thinking of Rei and probably where he went too when he ran off.

"I have Clothing and Design with Mrs.Hatcher." Hilary told the blonde-headed flirt who snapped his head back to see Hilary looking at him.

"Where are you two off too?" Hilary asked as she continued walking.

"Culinary Arts." They both said in unison not too pleased. Enrique started fake crying as Mariah gave puppy dog eyes to her best friend.

"Sorry for you guys! Everyone knows that you two are horrible cooks!" Hilary laughed at their reactions. Those two were a funny pair to look at when they did not want to do something.

Hilary gave a little wave before she jogged off, she saw her teacher instructing her to get to the class before she shut the door.

Mariah and Enrique walked as slowly as they could and as silent as they could to their last class of the day and most dreaded. As they reached the bright light tan wooden door Enrique sneaked a peek inside through the glass window in the door and saw the teacher not paying attention so he slowly opened the door and motioned Mariah to creep in first. She nodded. She creeped in, and crouched unnoticed to the class. But, she couldn't say the same for poor Enrique. When he came in, he hit the door which made it hit the wall and made a pretty loud noise and made the teacher look up at him.

"Enrique, I assume?" The teacher called out to the blonde.

"Yes sir...MA'AM! I mean Ma'am! Ma'am! Yes sir! Ma'am! Jeez!" Enrique called back straight as a nail and turning very cherry red from embarassment. The 20-25 odd some kids in the class laughed at his mistakes and waited anxiously to see what the teacher would do.

"Please take your seat. And please try not to be late again." The teacher spoke back as calmly as she could. The teacher was very pretty and young she looked 25 years old at the most and had long silky raven-colored hair. Her eyes were violet with a hint of dark blue. Her pale skin might need a little tan to color her up, but for the most part she was gorgeous!

Enrique sat down behind Mariah in the side of the class closest to the door. The door was decorated with all types of cheeses from France, Germany, and all over Europe mostly. The back of the room had about 10 table tops each consisting of different pots and pans, a stove, an oven, a sink, and kitchen gear. The windows on the side of the wall let in a bright and beautiful sunshine which lighted the class up and made it feel very cozy.

"Nice going, Enrique." Mariah said just below a whisper so the boy behind her could hear the comment.

"Put a cap on it, Pinky!" Enrique said pretty angrily, but had no harm behind the words said.

The rest of the class went by smoothly. It was a basic first day class lesson. Learning names, a name game, a rubric of what they were to do that semester, and a mini-homework assignment: to copy down the food chart for their notes.

**-The Hallway-**

"Jeez, Tyson! We have been friends for how long! Hmmmm...let's see, since you were eight and now your what? Sixteen! Eight years, TYSON! Eight friggin' years and you still do not know my name?" A very hysterical Emily scolded to a scared Tyson. He was looking at the floor and jumping everytime she would yell. "And you know what else MR.I-Know-EVERYTHING, You don't even know Max's name! Figures!"

"I'm sorry Em. I won't do it again. I just wasn't paying attention. I really wasn't. Maybe if you help me study then I can pay more attention and get answers correct in class." Tyson said very low so no more attention could be on them again for the third time today, but it was hopeless many kids were crowded around to see what was happening.

"C'mon now, nothing to see here! Nothing at all, but a bunch of geeks who can't remember shit!" Johnny yelled over the crowd swinging his arms in a SWOOSH manner.

"That's not necessary, Johnathan McGregor." A calm, and angelic voice spoke up so all heads turned to the direction of the voice. It was the teacher from Enrique's and Mariah's Culinary Arts class. Her long, silky raven hair hung carelessly around her shoulders as she stood with her hands on her hips looking at the spiky red-head.

Johnny stood in the middle of the hallway wide-eyed with his mouth opening and closing like a fish. He looked like a complete fool. The kids he was just yelling at were now laughing at him with joy filled in their eyes.

"Now, Mr.McGregor, are you going to leave for home quietly? Or do I need to take immediate action with the principal?" The stunningly beatiful teacher spoke quietly as her violet eyes flashed dangerously at Johnny.

"N-Noo..It's okay! I was just going.." Johnny stuttered before he walked out of the hallway with his nose up high.

'Those eyes were freaky, they didn't seem normal and what teacher is THAT hot? Something is up with her, but whatever, I gotta get home!' Johnny thought to himself as he walked out to Kai's car. But, by time Johnny got outside Kai was just pulling off! Johnny had to run Kai's black Mercedes down as fast as could. If he was another second late then he wouldn't have a ride.

**-Seven in the Evening: Mariah's House-**

"MARIAH! You have a phone call, I believe it's Rei!" Mariah's mom called out to her from the kitchen. "It'll be just a second, dear. I think she is coming down." Mrs.Wong spoke into the white phone.

Her mom looked very young for her age, she didn't have any wrinkles and she barely frowned. She had long, flowing pink hair that was tied back into a high ponytail and nothing could get her really mad at her two children. She thought that had been through enough when their father had died when Lee wastwelve and when Mariah was nine. It hit Mariah the hardest because her father had promised her a pony for Christmas and when he didn't come home that night, she lyed in her bed crying for the pony, in actuality, there would be no pony, but a dead corpse lying in a ditch, flung from the car he was driving whilein the snow. She said she hated her daddy until she found out the news and never forgave herself. Sometimes she even thought of suicide, but it was her brother, Lee, Rei, and Kai that helped her through it. And she was eternally grateful for the three of them.

"Mooom! I'm coming! Just hold on, ok?" Mariah yelled back through the house. She was upstairs on her computer talking with Hilary. Mariah stood up and clicked on an away message. It said:

"Ignorance killed the cat! Curousity was framed."

Mariah walked slowly down her stairs careful she didn't slip. She could hear Kai and Lee with a few other guys downstairs playing on the PlayStation. She approached her mom, took the phone off of the counter and ran upstairs back to her room and fell on her bed.

"Hey, buddy. What's up?" Mariah said with a little energy.

"Nothing much..Just sittin' at my house...bored." Rei answered a little broken-up. He sighed really low and asked Mariah another question trying to start a new conversation. "How was your detention?"

"Horrible, not only did Tala NOT show up, but she gave me his detention time to prove that no one skips her detention. She acted like I was Tala! That lady really needs to get her priorities straight or get a husband!" Mariah saidthrough the telephone frustrated.

"Yea..I'm sorry. And I'm also sorry for running out on you guys earlier." Rei added a little hurt. Mariah caught this and her face turned.

"Rei Kon! You should NOT be sorry for anything! People make mistakes and people can fix them! You just needed some time to yourself to think things out, I mean people need time for themselves all the time! And if you need someone to talk to, I'm just around the corner. Literally." Mariah explained with emphasis. She felt proud of herself, she felt as if her debt was being repayed back slowly already.

"Thank you, Mari. I knew if I called you, you would have some inspiring words to say. And these actually made sense!" Rei said as he chuckled lowly.

Mariah laughed also, she couldn't wait to see everyone tonight. It would be their first night out since the school year started and she was so ready!

"But, Mari. I'm not going to go tonight, I have way too many things to think about and I don't think I could mentally and physically take it, if I seen THAT guy too soon. No telling what I would I do." Rei spoke quietly into the phone. "Well, I gotta go. I think my mom wants me to help her set the table. Have a nice night. Love ya. Goodnight, Mari."

"Yea, it's ok, Rei. Have a nice night too, and don't let that guy get to your head. Love ya too. Goodnight, Rei." Mariah spoke quietly as she clicked the phone off, she lyed on her bed a little longer until she felt little tired and she couldn't afford to go to sleep

Mariah rocked herself up as she sat on the side of pink, queen-size bed. She rested her head on her hand that was placed on her knee.

'I can't do this night by myself, Rei. But, I guess, I still have Hilary and the rest. I think I can make it the best!' Mariah thought as she slowly looked up to lock her golden eyes with auburn eyes...

SailorofTears: I know. I know! It took me forever and for this sucky chapter? I know, trust me, I am NOT going to slack with this story.. I am going to finish this summer! I promise! I revised the first chapter and if you see any mistakes in this one, please tell me! I am starting on my next chapter NOW! So yea! Thank you guys!

Shout-outs: m, Kaz, Bluestray, Moonchild123, White Valkyrie, evilive, SasukeMOS, Xiao-Mao, Galux Cat, Nina, I can fly, Mizuyah, Thank you all!


End file.
